WD My Passport Wireless SSD

From £200/$230 (250GB)

At its core the My Passport Wireless SSD is a fast portable SSD available in 250GB, 500GB, 1TB and 2TB capacities, but it’s a bit more special than that. This is a device designed to be used in the field to back up images from your memory card without needing a computer. It achieves this by containing its own built-in SD card reader. Simply insert a card, press the transfer button, and the Passport automatically copies your card’s contents to the SSD – it could not be any simpler.

Once your shots have been transferred to the drive, you can then view them on your smart device, as the Passport is also a wireless media server with an 802.11ac/n Wi-Fi hotspot. Images and video stored on the drive are viewable, including Raw files and 4K video, however the latter is played via your device’s default media player, that more often than not, can be somewhat picky about 4K video codecs.

Powering everything is a built-in battery good for up to 10 hours’ continuous use. But if you don’t need all-day power, the battery can also double as a 6700 mAh power bank, with a USB output on the drive able to supply 1.5A of charging power.

All this tech doesn’t come cheap though. With an RRP of £260/$300, our 500GB review unit is the price/capacity sweet spot in the range, but do away with the extra features and an ultra-compact 512GB My Passport SSD can be had for £170/$180, and just £55/$60 buys you a 1TB hard drive-based My Passport. First impressions_

A humble portable storage device reworked for photographers. At 135mm square and 30mm thick, the My Passport Wireless SSD is large, by portable SSD standards, and if you already own a SnapBridge-equipped Nikon, its media streaming abilities may not convince you. But being able to quickly back up SD cards on the go to a self-powered drive is great during long shoots. It all helps make the My Passport Wireless SSD a handy companion that does a lot to justify its price.